Warming temperatures from climate change are making it easier to farm in the boreal – some calling it “the new agricultural frontier.” But Canada's boreal contains the largest area of wetlands of any ecosystem in the world, giving Canada the opportunity to do large-scale conservation work that isn't possible in other areas of the world. Researchers Lee Hannah and Patrick Roehrdanz explain how this is an issue of sustainable agriculture and climate mitigation above all else.
Competing needs are emerging in our boreal forest. Warming temperatures from climate change are making it easier to farm in the boreal – some calling it “the new agricultural frontier.” At the same time, massive increases in food production will be needed to meet our global food supply needs. But the Canadian Boreal Region contains the largest area of wetlands of any ecosystem in the world, serving as a breeding ground for more than 12 million water birds and millions of land birds. It is the largest intact forest on earth. Three million square kilometers are undisturbed, giving Canada the opportunity to do large-scale conservation work that just wouldn’t be possible in any other areas of the world.
The first researchers to study this issue, Lee Hannah and Patrick Roehrdanz of Conservation International, join Jennifer to explain how this is an issue of sustainable agriculture and climate mitigation above all else.
Also, Jennifer thinks this episode is best enjoyed with a glass of merlot.